The Tale of The Three Brothers
by marauders4u
Summary: Two parts. James tells Remus, who is recovering in the hospital wing, the story of the three brothers. Remus drifts off to sleep and the three brothers take on the appearance of James, Sirius, and Remus. Peter is starring Death.
1. Part One

Part One

Remus yawned most tiredly, placing a study book aside. It was the evening after a full moon and he was healing in the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts to recover. It was a painful transformation and the quietness of the sick ward was relief as it allowed him to rest throughout the afternoon. Yet, Pomfrey tisked, while shaking her head, saying 'Sorry dear, your injuries were too severe. You need more rest. Maybe tomorrow. Yes, I believe tomorrow we shall see. You just rest and take your potion.'

The potion was hideous but the chocolate block helped chase it down. Madam Pomfrey, though seemly younger then the professors at Hogwarts, was strict on her rules once a student came under her care. She was a nurse that could be trusted as she never asked how a student received their illness, no matter how suspicious it was, but focused more on the dedication of healing her patience. Perhaps since employed at Hogwarts, she had seen many odd reactions to magic that it no longer fazed her.

However, rules were rules, no matter if you were her patience every month. One rule was the time when other students may visit and a time when they cannot. Currently, the no visitor rule was in effect.

James Potter grew up with a strange idea that rules were made for his beneficent solely. They were ideas authority figures came up with, quite randomly, to challenge James. Oh and he did love a good challenge.

Unfortunately seeing a friend in the Hospital Wing after crew few was not a challenge. With an invisible cloak and a magical map, he could venture anywhere he'd like.

'Alright, Remus?' James pulled the cloak off once Pomfrey shut herself in her own little apartment within the Hospital Wing. 'Sorry I couldn't visit you earlier with Sirius and Pete.'

'They told me you had detention.' Remus smiled warmly, not at all surprise James would visit him. Since finding out about his Lycanthropic Disorder, better known as the Furry Little Problem among the Marauders, none of his friends had missed a visit after the great moon. 'Didn't expect you to be out so soon. I thought Professor would have kept you longer.'

'And she would!' James hazel eyes grew wide. 'Sirius refuses to believe me but Minnie secretly adores me. Anytime with me is a blessing to her.'

'I'm not sure she really sees it that way.' Remus laughed.

'Come off. She right in doing so. We have so much in common!' James explained.

Remus thought that perhaps James was probably telling the truth in favoring him, but she would never dare show that. Yet when ever James was before her, trying to charm his way out of detention with his famous wild-and-free smile, it seemed as McGonagall was more amused than annoyed.

'Like what? You two are nothing alike.' Remus grinned. 'Opposites, if I was asked. She seems to be molded by rules and strict life style. You are not that.'

'We both have mothers that are Witches.' James held up one finger.

'Twit! You cannot use that reason!' Remus chuckled.

'We both are very good at Transfiguration.' James held two fingers.

'There are others in that class that do favorable well, like Sirius.' Remus reminded him.

'Yes but I am better.' James held up another finger, 'We both got sorted into Gryffindor.'

'Yes, well rumor is that it took the hat five and a half minutes to decide what to do with her. It was a toss between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw.' Remus said. 'It took the hat less than a half of quarter of a second when it was placed upon your head and it had no uncertainty of casting you into Gryffindor.'

'She was confused as I was not.' James pushed it aside. 'Around the year of the snitch introduction, Minnie played Quidditch for the Gryffindors.'

'Life isn't a Quidditch time table, James.' Remus reminded him. 'Besides, she isn't that old.'

'Her wrinkles say different.' James tossed out. 'I too play for the Gryffindors.'

'So did many other people.' Remus reminded him.

'We both enjoy winning but more so against the Slytherins.' James ignored him. 'Nasty players.'

'Still, it isn't something that is not shared among the Gryffindor Qudditch Team.' Remus said.

'She is in love with her childhood sweetheart.' James added. 'I too am in love with my childhood sweetheart.'

'Well…others have experienced the same.' Remus explained.

'And we are currently competing against each other on who is the better Quidditch fan.' James moved on.

'And how is that going?' Remus smiled

'Well, she argues that she is years older than me.' James explained, very seriously. 'She has had longer time at being a fan. However, I have seen more games then she, when she was my age. I believe I shall come through as the winner in the end.'

'That will be a hard completion.' Remus laughed.

'Oi. Almost forgot.' James dug into his cloak to pull out a box of chocolate. 'From Sirius. He nicked it from the slug party last week. Sirius noticed you were low when he was visiting earlier.'

'Tell him I appreciate it.' Remus took the chocolate trying not to drool. He could smell the rich velvet chocolate through the cardboard box. 'It smells great.'

'Only the best at the Slugfest.' James shrugged. He noticed Remus trying to stifle a yawn. 'Shall I leave?'

'No, no.' Remus shook his head but stop suddenly, wondering if James wanted to leave but felt obligated to stay by his bedside. 'You can if you want. I don't need a sitter.'

'I'm good.' James flashed an easy grin.

'I'm feeling tired but I slept all afternoon.' Remus explained. 'Can't really seem to fall asleep and I don't want to tell Madam Pomfrey, she'll toss that ghastly sleeping tonic down my throat!'

'Ah. That is a bit horrid. First things she gives me one seeing me here.' James agreed. 'Would you like me to sing to you? It helps Sirius.'

'No.' Remus shook his head with a wince. 'You sing horribly. The only reason Sirius ends up sleeping is because he smothers his head with the pillow and the lack of oxygen knocks him out and you remove the pillow later.'

'He gets very annoying when he cannot sleep.' James shrugged with an evil grin.

'What is the secret to getting James Potter to sleep?' Remus asked curiously. 'Surely your parents had a way.'

James just shook his head. 'I slept when I could no longer stay awake. Mum child proof the house and I was allowed to stay up all night, sometimes for days. I played them out, you see. Apparently I was quite tantrum-matic when suggestion of sleeping was mentioned and they didn't like stressing me out.'

'That's called spoiled.' Remus told him.

'No matter, I was curfew free.' James shrugged. 'What about you?'

'Mum read me to sleep or Dad would tell me a story.' Remus said fondly. 'One of my favorite stories was that of the Three Brothers, do you know it?'

'I do. I know it very well.' James smiled in a manner of secretive and amusement. 'My father told it to me, his mother before to him and so. It is a bit of a tradition.'

'Should I be worried?' Remus looked at him suspiciously.

'Of course not!' James laughed. 'Tis only a story. I'll tell it to you the way I was told. It will help you fall to sleep.'

'It won't work.' Remus shook his head. 'I'm too old for fairy tales.'

To most, perhaps. 'Worth a try?' James shrugged. In a low voice, James started his story the way his father told it to him. _'In a time when Witch and Wizards avoided all that was not magic and muggles lived miles and miles apart, there were once three brothers who were traveling along a desolate, twisting road. The hour was between day and night._

_The road they ventured on had large, leafless, dark trees at the edge of its path to divide the forest from the road. It proved to be a very quiet night, for hardly any creature stirred within the forest._

_That stillness would follow them like a cloak in the darkness. It trailed them until they came to a river…_

* * *

Remus breathing became steady and James' soft voice seemed to drift away. An dream image started to play in the boy's mind….

'How are we to cross?' Remus looked over at his two brothers. 'It's too deep. We cannot walk across that!'

'We can swim!' Sirius shrugged as he started to take off his cloak. 'It isn't far to the other side. We can make a small raft to place our clothes upon.'

James stopped Sirius from taking off his shirt. 'Don't be a fool. Look at that water. It's full and swift. We would never make it across.'

'Maybe we should turn back.' Remus frowned as he looked over his shoulder at the dark path they had just emerged from. There was an eerie howl in the distance within the forest. 'Or perhaps find a place further upstream to pass?'

'Nonsense.' James shook his head with amusement. 'Our father taught us the art of magic for situations such as this. We shall use magic. Wands to the ready!'

James, Sirius and Remus held up their wands and together used the vines of the forest and the limbs of the fallen trees to conquer a secure bridge that would allow them to cross to the other side safely.

'I don't know about this.' Remus carefully placed a foot on a plank of the bridge in order to test its weight.

'It is secure, my brother.' Sirius started to bounce up and down to prove his point. It caused the bridge to sway back and forth.

'You are mad!' Remus shook his head. 'You'll send us tumbling over the side.'

'Come, let us cross.' James step forward and his brothers followed. However, half way across they were stopped by a short figure in a dark cloak.

'I am Death.' The dark figured voice was low. 'For many years I have come to this river to fetch the souls of travelers to have drowned.'

'Ah, well traditions are to be broken.' Sirius shrugged. 'You won't be claiming our souls on this day.'

Death glared at the brothers but the cloak hid his cunning eyes. 'This day I shall reward you three brothers. For you have outsmarted me and so few have done so.'

'A reward?' Remus smiled at the idea.

'What kind of reward?' James asked suspiciously.

'Is this the three wish reward?' Sirius asked. 'And is wishing for more wishing acceptable? I know this guy Aladdin who swears it cannot be done.'

'I shall give you each but one magical object.' Death explain.

'That doesn't seem fair.' Remus shook his head. 'Sirius is right, Aladdin did receive three wishes.'

'He just didn't use them wisely.' James agreed.

'But there are three of you therefore the three gifts must be divided.' Death argued.

'Fine.' Remus sighed. 'I see where you are going with this.'

'Well what kind of magic are they and who gets what?' Sirius asked.

'That is up to you. What would you like?' Death asked him.

'What would I want?' Sirius tapped his chin as he thought. 'A wand that is what I want. Not just any wand. This wand must be better than all the other wands. It must be superior to all that it comes before. For every duel that I face as the owner, I shall always win.'

'A powerful wand? Are you sure?' Death asked with a grin.

'A powerful wand is just for I have won against Death and deserve such a wand.' Sirius smirked.

Death glided over to the bank of the river and tore a branch off an elder tree. With his gloved hand, he used a bit of magic of his own to fashion the gnarled stick into a wand. He glided back to where the brothers stood and handed over the most powerful wand ever to existence to Sirius. 'As long as you are the owner of this wand, you shall be superior to all that come against you.'

'That is my wish.' Sirius grinned, taking the wand from Death.

'My brother is right. Having to outwit you is a challenge to most but we did so without effort.' Remus smiled smugly. 'For that I believe I would like the power to recall all those who you have claimed.'

'You wish to take what I reap?' Death asked.

'I believe it is just.' Remus folded his arms before him.

Death glided to the riverbank and plunked a stone gem from the ground. He touched the rock to his lip, giving it the kiss of death. Again, he drifted back to the brothers and handed the stone to Remus. 'For every soul I take you now have the power to bring them back.'

'That is my wish.' Remus tossed the stone in the air, catching it in his hand as it fell.

Death turned to the third Brother. 'What magic do you wish to process?'

'Something that would make me invisible to all and never shall be followed.' James answered. 'A magic that not even Death can find.'

Death looked down at his cloak and reluctantly took it off and handed it to James. 'This cloak is my shadow. For as long as you wear it, you will not been seen.'

'Not even by you?' James asked.

'Not even I.' Death, who shared the same appearance as Peter, sighed.

James slipped the cloak on, becoming invisible.

'Ooohhhh.' Sirius smiled brightly. 'Could I borrow that? It would go great with my new riding trousers!'

Peter, as Death, stood to allow the brother to continue on their journey.


	2. Part Two

'I am bored with this life style we are living!' Sirius huffed as he rudely fell into a chair within the kitchen of their modest home. 'Nothing to do at all!'

'You could settle down and get married.' James grinned at his oldest brother.

'As charming as I am, t'would be a crime to chain me to one woman.' Sirius solemnly shook his dark head at the suggestion. 'A cruelty, in fact.'

'I have my eye on a certain lady.' James looked over at Remus. 'I think I should ask her to marry me, do so before someone ask her first.'

'The young girl with the red cape?' Sirius nodded in agreement. 'I can see why you would want to chase her but there is no need. She has had many marriage proposals, my good brother. Many, many of them or so I am told by the more er… available ladies. However, she seems to fancy you and is patiently waiting for you to find your courage.'

'I too am thinking about the marriage life.' Remus agreed. 'Mary. She's a fine, kind hearted girl. A shier type than your Red, brother.'

'Mary from down the road? The one that has that lamb crying at her heels?' Sirius howled. 'You would need to get between her and her pets!'

'She picks the strays; I only can say that her heart is very kind.' Remus added. 'It's as if our souls were already attached.'

* * *

In a few days after their talk, the brothers each took a different path to challenge their wants; it would be a path that would change their lives. A path when destination collides with fate.

Sirius left first. He travelled to village to village picking up wand-fights as he journeyed. He soon became known as the best wand duellist of his time. For no matter how fast another was, Sirius was always the quicker wizard.

He would lazily saunter down the dirt street of the village from the opposite side of his foe. The sun was just on the rise to indicate noon. He and his foe would be face to face, wands out and ready.

They slowly circled each other, waiting for an indication of the first spell. A glint in the eye, a twitch of the hand and the battle started.

It didn't matter how fast the other was, Sirius held the Elder Wand and indeed, would always out cast another.

However, on a windy evening, Sirius ambled into an old pub to get out of the storm.

He was feeling quite boisterous about his fame as he held a tart on his lap. It so happened, this girl belonged to a quite large and ill-tempered low-class man and Sirius was quick to pick a quarrel with the man, finding himself the better man.

Naturally, the Elder wand would not lose a battle. Sirius had left the man on the floor. The poor man had to be dragged out of the saloon but Sirius continued to boasted loudly, though he had followed the laws of the duel, the Elder Wand would always have the advantage for it was a wand that he had snatched from Death and now was invincible. He then proceeded to buy the house a round of the best ale. Sirius did not notice the man in the corner watching him very carefully as he pour his coins onto the table.

Eventually, in his drunken condition, Sirius found an inn to sleep off the ale.

That very night, another wizard crept upon the oldest brother as he lay; sodden with ale, upon his bed. This was the man that watched him at the pub. The thief took the coins, took the wand off the bed side table and slit Sirius' throat for assurance.

Sirius, though dead on the bed, watched as the Wizard crept back out into the night.

'I don't understand.' Sirius said to himself. 'I am invincible.'

'Only…' The dark shape of Peter crept from behind him. 'If you have the wand.'

Sirius looked over at Peter, anger growing in his eyes. 'You tricked me!'

'I gave what you wished for, nothing more.' Peter grinned. 'Now it is time to reap what is mine.'

And so Death took the first brother for his own.

* * *

In the meantime, the middle brother had his own troubles. For he had been feverishly courting his love, Mary.

He and his youngest brother, James purchased rings for their sweethearts together. They made plans on having a large family, many children and residing close to one another. Their future wives would giggle with excitement of the coming marriage, planning to marry on the same day.

Dragon pox took the town a week before the marriage date, killing many people within. A few were able to survive the fever, others hid in fear.

Mary had a kind soul, she could not look the other way as many suffered. Risking her own life, she helped those around her and doing so, the fever took claim over her.

The wedding did not happen on that day. Instead Remus, his brother and his fiancée stood at the fresh grave of Mary. They were soul mates and Remus had just lost his.

Remus would never recover. He found a small home in the woods, far away from the town he grew up in. Far away from his brother and all his envious happiness.

He grew reclusive as days turned into weeks and weeks into months. It was then he remembered the stone. A brilliant stone that Death had given him. Something that would bring back his lovely Mary.

Quickly Remus took the rock out of its hidden box. He turned the stone three times in his hand and focused on his Mary. To amazement, the figure of his sweetheart appeared before him.

He raced to hold her; to embrace her within his arms but in doing so, his arms slipped passed her. She was a simple cloud of a person.

For a time, it was enough for Remus. He would sit by the window with her and talk or read to her for hours.

She was never the same; no matter what Remus tried to do he could not make her happy. She grew cold towards him. Mary would go days without talking or moving. She was in a world where she didn't belong. A prisoner. It wasn't a life. Though he wanted her, he loved her; he felt he was doing her a cruelty in trying to keep her. So he set her free and to stop his own madness of seeking her, wanting her, he killed himself as well.

'I just wanted her back.' Remus whispered to Peter, who came to claim him.

'And so you did.' Peter told him.

'No.' Remus shook his head. 'I never really got her back.'

And so Death took the second brother for his own.

* * *

James buried both of his brothers but he moved forward to have a very long life with his wife and their many children.

He would often tell stories to his sons and daughters of growing up with Sirius and Remus, their lives together. He told the tale of Death and many other stories of long ago.

He wished they knew of their uncles for every one of his children showed a characteristic of a brother.

Time went fast and he grew old. His children were grown and had children of their own, and their children had children. His beloved wife of many, many sweet years had passed and his heart ached to be with her.

So he found himself at the beginning of a new journey. It would be his last journey up the garden path, were his wife rested. His oldest son walked alongside of him. It wasn't so far for a young man, but James was not young any more.

On reaching the grave, they both placed wild lilies at the head marker.

James turned to his son and produced a small package from his coat. With shaky, aged hands, he handed the package to the younger man. 'I've wanted to give this to you for a while now.'

'What is it?' His oldest son looked at the package uncertainly.

'Remember the tale I told you when you were a child? The night my brothers and I met up with Death?' James pointed a finger at the package. 'That's my magic object.'

'The cloak?' His son asked curious now. 'Is it true?'

James nodded but turned slowly to the grave of his wife. 'She could use more flowers. Why don't you go pick some more? She liked the white ones the most.'

His son quickly obeyed and when he came back, with a handful of freshly picked white lilies, he found his father leaning against his mother's stone.

'Dad?' His son knelt down, gently shaking James' shoulder to rouse him from his sleep. He would never wake. 'Dad? Dad?' The oldest son sobbed.

'I finally found you!' Peter smiled at James.

'No.' James shook his head. 'I came to you.'

So the youngest brother greeted Death and as an equal, they departed this life.

* * *

'Remus? Are you up?' Madam Pomfrey came out of her apartment on hearing voices and caught James beside the sleeping Remus' bed. 'Potter? You are to be in bed! Are you ill? Having trouble sleeping perhaps?'

'Oh no.' James quickly stood up and shook his head as he backed away from the vile potion the nurse held out to him. 'Um...I was um…, you see…'

'No matter. Off to bed with you.' Pomfrey pushed him out of the room. 'Go to bed. Sick folks need their rest. Be off with you now.'

'Yes, Madam Pomfrey.' James scrambled out of the Hospital Wing.

Promfrey watched with a twinkle in her eye as the door closed softly leaving her alone with her patients once more.

Madam Pomfrey was a nurse at Hogwarts that could be trusted as she never asked how a student received their illness, no matter how suspicious it was to her. She focused more on the dedication of healing her patience. Since employed at Hogwarts, she had seen many odd reactions to magic and knew many potions to heal, but friendship seem to always be the best medicine.

* * *

A/N

At first, I had James as Death as he has the cloak and Peter as the older brother. It didn't seem to fit. I decided Peter to best fit Death as his choices did cause the death of his friends, maybe not directly but if James lived maybe the others would had too.

Sirius as the oldest brother. The oldest brother in the tale seemed reckless and also seem to have that 'better-than-you' attitude. Sirius is reckless but he also comes from a family that bragged and seem to sit upon a throne as they looked down on others. So it was a battle that our Sirius overcame – just not in the tale.

Remus as the second brother. This was no doubt in my mind. The Remus we knew had a lonely life before the Marauders. Like the ghost, Remus lived in a world he different really belonged in. He wasn't a normal werewolf and normal wizards/witches would never accept him.

The youngest brother was going to be Sirius but that changed over to James because James would had lived that kind of life. That happy ever after if he was given the chance. Also, that is James' direct family line so he should had the cloak. Naturally, since Remus is aware of the cloak that James has, perhaps in the dream stage he was able to connect the pieces together.

Also James tells Remus it was a story passed down – so James knew where the cloak came from and he never got the chance to tell Harry.

Hope you enjoyed the story. It was fun writing it.


End file.
